This mask glows when in contact with Covid-19

This mask glows if it has been in contact with Covid-19. Just run it under UV light.

The idea behind wearing a mask when you are sick or not is that you are protecting yourself and those around you. Indeed, viruses like Covid-19 mainly infect people through droplets that are released into the air when you sneeze, cough, or even talk. Wearing a mask helps prevent these droplets from coming out of your mouth and nose, and also prevents them from entering your mouth and nose if they come from someone else. Here is a very interesting innovation.

This mask glows if it has been in contact with Covid-19

That being said, how can you tell if a mask is really effective? Have you actually been in contact with someone who has been infected with Covid-19? It’s hard to say, but Kyoto University researchers have developed an ostrich antibody filter that glows when exposed to ultraviolet light if it’s been in contact with Covid-19.

To make this unique mask, scientists first injected an ostrich with the virus’s spike protein – and don’t worry, ostriches are said to be very resistant to the disease – before extracting antibodies from the animal’s egg yolk. They then incorporated these antibodies into mask filters using polylactic acid.

Just run it under ultraviolet light

What is the meaning of such a mask? According to lead researcher Yasuhiro Tsukamoto: “Although a viral infection can be detected by wearing an ostrich antibody filter in the ‘disposable mask’ that is used every day around the world, infected people will not have symptoms such as superinfections. voluntarily treated at an early stage.”

It’s unclear if the team plans to mass-produce these masks to sell them, but Yasuhiro Tsukamoto explains that he hopes the method can be applied to other viruses. In other words, when this Covid-19 pandemic is over, it can still be useful in our daily lives.